Q. How do you evaluate the government’s agricultural reform? A. Japan has been limiting sales of rice to domestic markets and maintained rice prices by adjusting domestic rice production. Such production control policies should be changed. We agree to the government’s policy of revising its rice production adjustment, but it must be coupled with measures to mitigate its negative effects. The key to reform is whether farmers, agricultural organizations, food product firms and consumers can come to consensus on the policies. Q. Can you elaborate on specifics? A. It is good to encourage production of rice for livestock feed, but there are differences in the demand for feed according … Continue reading →

Q. How do you evaluate the government and the ruling party’s revision of individual-household income compensation scheme as a part of agricultural reform? A. Farmers are increasingly worried. People engaged in agricultural business nowadays have to make large amount of investments, and they set up repayment plans taking into account the government’s support measures. In spite of that, the government has decided to revise the so-called “bedrock policy” under the compensation scheme and halve the payment of JPY15,000 per 10 ares offered to rice farmers. The government plans to strengthen measures to facilitate production and sales of rice for livestock feed instead, but we don’t know whether the measures will … Continue reading →

Q. How will the ruling bloc proceed with the new agricultural reform? A. We need a new legislation in order to stabilize the system, but farmers’ recognition of the new policies is not yet sufficient. We should first have thorough discussion at the Diet and spread the idea among those concerned. Although we do not plan to change the overall direction of reform, there are things that we do not realize until we actually put it into practice. If there is any problem, we can revise the law even after it takes effect. It is important to reflect the voices of farmers in policymaking. Q. Some farmers are worried about … Continue reading →

  2014 will be the year when a series of agricultural reform, including the establishment of a Japanese-style direct payment system and the revision of individual-household income compensation, will be implemented by the government t and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. The government is also faced with various other issues, such as negotiations under the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade talks intensifying before spring, and debates starting on the creation of a new basic plan for food, agriculture and rural areas. Along with the opening of the ordinary session of the Diet, The Japan Agricultural News interviewed seven political parties’ lawmakers in charge of agricultural issues, who are preparing to start policy … Continue reading →